St Stephan

This depiction of St. Stephen by Andrea di Bartolo dates to around 1397 and is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Andrea was one of the most prolific Sienese painters of his generation, maintaining the refined elegance of the local tradition established by Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers. Representations of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, were ubiquitous in Italian Gothic art, with the saint identifiable by his deacon's dalmatic and the stones of his martyrdom.

Tempera and gold on panel. The work demonstrates Andrea's meticulous technique with fine brushwork defining the saint's youthful features, set against a punched and incised gold ground characteristic of late Trecento Sienese craftsmanship.